Written by

Kristi Tanner and Gina Damron

Detroit Free Press Staff Writers

Despite a rash of killings in recent weeks, homicides in Detroit are down 15% this year compared to last year, when the city saw its highest homicide rate in nearly two decades.

As of Wednesday, there had been 305 homicides, compared with 360 during the same time period in 2012, according to the Detroit Police Department.

In 2012, the city’s homicide rate — 54.6 homicides per 100,000 people — was the highest the city had seen in 19 years, and second only to Flint among large cities nationwide.

So far this year, the city has also seen declines in nonfatal shootings, carjackings, sexual assaults, robberies, aggravated assaults, burglaries and stolen vehicles, according to police. Larcenies, however, were up 3% as of Wednesday, compared to the same time in 2012.